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Workers From Canada
Indians came from Canada to Okanagon every year unit the 1950s. -
People Picked Their Own Fruit
In the 1920s, quite often the school would shut down for harvest and if not, then the kids living on the orchards would stay home to help pick the fruit. -
Great Depression Hit
When the Great Depression hit, many of the growers walked away from their orchards. For those who did keep their orchards, they could hardly pay for their help. -
Travelling West
Families left their homes in the southern states and travelled to the western states, mainly California, to work. -
Banks Collapsed and Wages Plummeted
The worker's wages were cut down. -
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Search for Seasonal Workers
During the 1940s to 1950s, there wasn't a large number of people looking for jobs. The growers had to become resourceful to meet their needs for seasonal labor. Many big companies sent buses over to Spokane, Seattle, and Portland to recruit workers. -
World War II Began
When the United States entered WWII, everyone went to work in shipyards and defense plants. The need for workers was high again. -
Government Brought in Mexicans
Because of the shortage of workers, the government created a program to recruit braceros--Mexicans imported temporarily to work under contract in the fields. -
Picking Apples in Washington
During the 1940s, many families moved to Washington to pick apples. They didn't travel as much. -
Workers Leave the Northwest
In the 1940s, in the Autumn, the migrant workers left the Northwest and traveled to Arizona and California to pick cotton and peas. -
Hippies: New Source of Labor
In the 1940s to 1950s when workers were needed, hippies became another source of labor and contributed to the labor supply. -
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Introduction to Mexican Workers
Since the end of the bracero program, many of the workers from Mexico came into the US illegally. They immigrated from Texas and other border cities into the western states. -
Undocumented Latinos Replace Previous Workers
In the 1970s to 1980s, many undocumented Mexicans started taking over and replacing the previous workers. The previous workers had a difficult time finding work since the Mexicans were taking all of the jobs. The workers from Mexico proved to be efficient and cooperative at a critical time. The employers no longer valued the workers as much as they had in the past. Many crops started being harvested mechanically. -
Reform and Control Act
The male workers that had once traveled north started bringing their families up too and the Latinos became a more stable force in Washington State's orchards. They started establishing themselves in the tree fruit industry. -
Workers Returned to Mexico
During the offseason, instead of migrating to California, Arizona, and Florida to pick fruit for the winter, many families returned to Mexico to visit their relatives.
